Adjustable desk top and book compartment



Aug 25, 1941- w. .1. BARGEN l '2,254,133

ADJUSTABLE DESK TOP AND BOOK COMPARTMENT original Filed July 26, 1939Wiliam :figa/ren C54 I q MM Patented Aug. 26, 1941 entre ADJUSTABLE DESKTOP AND BOOK COR/[PARLEMENT William JfBargen, Waukegan, Ill.

(Cl. 15E- 4) 5 Claims.

This invention relates to school desks and is a division of my copendingapplication, Serial No. 286,699, filed July 26, 1939, for Offsetpedestal desk,

An object of this invention is to provide an improved desk including abook holding compa-rtment wherein the desk or top is hinged to the bookcompartment and is frictionally held against swinging movement.

Another object of this invention is to provide in combination, a bookcompartment and a desk element r top which is hingedly secured thereto,the book compartment being so constructed as to prevent the placement ofan excess of books, papers or the like in the forward portion of thecompartment so as to place a strain on the hinge for the desk or top.

A further object of this invention is to provide a desk with a hingedtop and means to limit the raising of the top with the strain on thehinge, while at the same time resisting torsional strain on the topsupporting means.

Embodying the aforesaid aims and others which may hereinafter appear,the invention consists of the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown an embodimentof the. invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variationsand modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a book compartment and top constructedaccording to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3 3of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure3.

Referring to the drawing, numeral I0 designates generally a bookcompartment or holder comprising end walls II and I2. The end wall IIhas at the rear lower corner thereof la stem or supporting member I3which is adapted to engage a stationary support as more specically setforth in my copending application filed of even date herewith and as setforth in my application, Serial No. 286,699. The book holder orcompartment I0 has -a metal box disposed between the end walls II and I2thereof which includes a bottom wall I4, a front wall I5 and a rear wallI6. The box or holder comprising the walls i4, I5 and I6 is adapted tobe made out of sheet metal and the bottom wall I4 is provided withlongitudinal corrugations I'I which provide a reinforcing means for thebottom wall I 4. The front wall l5 extends upwardly and rearwardly fromthe forward end of the bottom Wall I4 and is transversely curved asshown in Figure 1. The book compartment or box comprising the walls I4,I5 and I6 engages between the end walls or members II and I2 and theseend members II and I2 areveach provided with inwardly projectingmarginal flanges i8 within which thev sheet metal box comprising thewalls I4, I5 and I5 is adapted to engage.

` The front wall I5 at its upper end extends rearwardly as at I9 and isthen bent forwardly upon itself to form a reinforced relatively narrowtop wall for the book compartment. The top wall which is formed by thereverted portion I9 engages a pair of inwardly projecting lugs or ears20 and 2l which are carried by the end members II and I2, respectively,and the top wall I9 is secured to the ears or lugs 20 and 2l byfastening devices 22 in the form of rivets or the like` A desk elementor top 23 engages the open upper portion of the book holder orcompartment I0 and is hingedly secured thereto by a pair ofsubstantially L-shaped hinge arms or members 24. The hinge members 24are secured one to each of the end members II and I2 on the inner sidethereof and each hinge member 2d comprises one leg 25 which is providedwith an elongated base bar 26 engaging the under side of the top member23.

The base bar 2B is formed with an upwardly projecting rib or bead 2lwhich engages in a channel 28 formed in the under side of the top 23.Fastening devices 29 engage through the base bar 26 and fixedly securethe leg 25 to the top 23. Each hinge arm 24 also includes a secondangularly disposed leg 30 which is provided with a substantially annularhead 3l. The head 3l is provided with an axial opening 32 through whicha pivot bolt 33 engages. The pivot bolt 33 engages through one of theend members II and I2 and also engages a plate 34 forming an inner wallfor a housing within which the arm 24 engages. An inwardly projectingflange 35 is formed as shown in Figures 3. and 4 with the inner side ofthe end member I2 and the plate 34 is secured to the flange 35 byfastening devices 36. The arm 24 engages between the plate 34 and therend wall I2 and in order to provide a means whereby the arm 24 may befrictionally held against turning, I haveprovided an inner resilientwasher 31 which is interposed between the inner face of the plate 34 andthe adjacent side of the annular head 3|.

A second resilient washer 38 engages against the opposite or outer sideof the head 3| and against the inner side of the end wall I2. Either orboth of the washers 3l and 38 may be made out of rubber or similarresilient material and when the plate 34 is secured to the flange 35,the two washers 31 and 38 will be compressed against the opposite sidesof the head 3| and thus form a resilient means which will resist turningof the head 3| on the pivot member 33.

The top 23 at its forward edge has secured thereto, a bumper generallydesignated as 39. This bumper 39 comprises a metal core 40 in the formof an elongated flat bar which is embedded in a rubber or yieldablecover 4I. The bar 4I] is provided with a plurality of inwardlyprojecting lugs 42 which are secured by fastening devices 43 to theunder side of the top 23. A pencil or art box support 44 is secured tothe outer side of the end member I I by means of angle members 45. Thepencil box support 44 is open at the top and is also open atits outerside, being provided with an elongated bar 46 extending between thefront and rear walls 4l and 48 thereof.

An art box of yieldable construction is adapted to slidably engage inthe support, 44 and to be moved laterally thereof as set forth in mycopending applicationy Serial No. 286,699.

In the use of this book compartment and desk structure, the stem I3 isadapted to be vertically adjusted as set; forth in my copendingapplication and the book holder IIJ is adapted to receive books, papersor other articles which may be inserted in the holder by raising the top23. The top 23 will remain in its raised position, which is the positionshown in dotted lines in Figure 3 by reason of the resilient holdingwashers 3'! and 38 which engage the heads 3| of each hinge arm 3D. Theend members I I and I2 are adapted to be cast out of metal and the stemI3 is adapted to be cast with the end member II. The walls I4, I and I6are formed out of sheet metal and engage within the flanges I8 formedabout the marginal edges of these end members II and I2. By reason ofthe rearwardly projecting top wall I9, it will not be possible for astudent to insert any books or other material in the holder Ill whichmight project above the upper forward edge of the holder I0. In thismanner, the hinge members 24 will not be subjected to any undue strainwhen the top 24 is lowered.

The top 24 on the under side thereof is provided with a pair ofyieldable cushioning members 49 which are adapted to engage the rearportions of the end members I I and I2 when the top 23 is in closedposition.

What I claim is:

1. A combined desk top and book compartment comprising a box providedwith front, rear and bottom walls and a pair of end walls, a rearwardlyprojecting top wall extending from said front Wall and terminating atits rear edge forwardly of said rear wall, means securing said top wallto said end walls, a top member, a pair of L-shaped hinge members eachhaving one leg thereof fixed to said top and having the other legthereof projecting inwardly beneath said top wall, an inwardlyprojecting flange carried by each end wall, a plate fixed to said fiangeand forming therewith a housing for a hinge member, a pivot engagingthrough an end wall, said other leg of an L-shaped hinge member andthrough said plate, and means carried by said pivot for yieldablyresisting turning of a hinge member relative to a pivot to thereby holdsaid top member in a selected position relative to said box.

2. A combined desk top and book compartment comprising a box providedwith front, rear and bottom walls and a pair of end walls, a rearwardlyprojecting top wall extending from said front wall and terminating atits rear edge forwardly of said rear wall, means securing said top wallto said end walls, a top member, a pair of L-shaped hinge members eachhaving one leg thereof fixed to said top and having the other legthereof projecting inwardly beneath said top wall, an inwardlyprojecting flange carried by each end wall, a plate fixed to said flangeand forming therewith a housing for a hinge member, a pivot engagingthrough an end wall, said other leg of an L-shaped hinge member andthrough said plate, and a pair of yieldable washers about said pivot andengaging on opposite sides of said other leg for yieldably resistingturning of a hinge member relative to a pivot to thereby hold said topmember in a selected position relative to said box.

3. A combined desk top and book compartment comprising a pair ofoppositely disposed end wall forming members provided with inwardlyextending flanges, a support connected to one of said members, a boxformed of a bottom and front and rear walls arranged between said endwalls upon said flanges, said front wall extending rearwardly from itslower to its upper end and provided at its upper end with a rearwardlydirected extension forming a top wall, means for securing said extensionto said members, a top member arranged over said wall forming membersand extended forwardly from the upper end of said front wall, a pair ofhinged means fixed at one end to said top member and having their otherends arranged in the forward portion of said box below said top wall,housing means for the said other ends of said hinged means, means forpivotally connecting the said other ends of the hinged means to saidhousing means, and braking means arranged in said housing means for saidhinged means.

4. In combination, a desk top, a pair of oppositely disposed upstandingspaced parallel end wall forming members arranged below said top andprovided with inwardly extending flanges at their lower ends, an elementarranged below said desk top and formed of a horizontal portion, a frontvertical portion and a rear vertical portion providing respectively abottom and front and rear walls, said element arranged between saidmembers and having its bottom wall seated on said flanges, said frontwall being provided at its upper end with a rearwardly directedextension forming a top wall, angle-shaped hinge members depending intosaid element flxedly secured at one end to the lower face of said desktop, means for pivotally connecting the other ends of said hinge membersto said wall forming members, braking means for said hinge members atthe said other ends thereof, means for securing said extension to saidend wall forming members, and said hinge members, end wall formingmembers and element correlating to form a normally closed bookcompartment, and supporting means for an end wall forming member.

5. The invention as set forth by claim 4 having the front portion ofsaid element extended rearwardly from its lower to its upper end, thehorizontal portion of said element corrugated and said desk top extendedlaterally from said end wall forming members and from the front and rearupstanding portions of said element.

WILLIAM J. BARGEN.

